Bottle crate



C. C. WALES Oct. 24, 1950 BOTTLE CRATE 4 Sheets Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14, 1944 N N INVENTOR Char/e: Oar/(e Wa/es C C- WALES Oct. 24, 1950 BOTTLE CRATE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed D90. 14, 1944 (Char/es (Var/(e fiy/es I'll-l QN NN WN MN BEE? q Oct. 24, 1950 Filed Dec. 14, 1944 2.9 Z1 /Z0 Q C. C. WALES BOTTLE CRATE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 i INVENTOR fiar/e: C/arke/I/es Z igwMA/M Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE BOTTLE CRATE Charles Clarke Wales, Mount Lebanon, PaQ, as-

v signor to Jones &-Laughlin Steel Corporation, Y l r Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation oflfennsylvania ApplicationDecember 14, 1944, Serial No. 568,105

I This invention relates toybottle crates and the manufacture thereof. It relates especially to crates for the handling and truck transportation off roups of bottles such, for example; as those used 'for the dispensing of beverages. The invention further relates to an improved method of'making bottle crates. I

"My improved bottle crate has a number of important advantages and represents an advance over crates heretofore employed. My crate pref- 10 for safety and additional strength and to faerably comprises a body of sheet material; I cilitate handling. I preferably rib and bead an prefer to employ sheet metal although plastic or elongated sheet and then bend the sheet into tuother appropriate sheet material may be embular form. I prefer to cut out the corners at at ployed. 'I desirably form a crate body by bendleast one end of the sheet and bead the edges in ing or forming a sheet into generally tubular longitudinal alignment with the out out corners. form' and connecting the ends of the sheet to- This enables the ends of the beads to abut and the gether. It is desirable thatthe tubular body be intermediate end portions of the sheet to overof generally rectangular shape. The tubular lap when the sheet is bent into tubularform. body is disposed with its axis horizontal so that I preferably introduce strengthening rods into the body forms the top, bottom and two opposed the beads atthe sheet-edges and bend such rods sidesof the crate. The remaining two sides are when the sheet is bent intO tubular form, the bendopen, these corresponding to the open ends of ing of ther'ods-maintainingthem in place and the tube. the .bent rods strengthening the corners of the The top of the crate body is perforated to procrate body when a generally rectangular tubular vide bottle receiving opening means therein. Orbody isformed. 1 dinarily individual bottle receiving openings will I also preferably turn the material of .the sheet be provided in the top of the body and these will at the edges of the bottle receiving openings out be arranged in rows to accommodate the desired of the plane 'O the p of theera'te y to form number of' bottles in closely spaced relationship 0tt ui es- These assist in guiding the bo the fashion in which bottles are usually rtles into the cells of the bottle cell unit andmay ranged in crates. The top of the crate body may, also r r less n y m r the b y p rhowever, have less openings th th number of tions of the bottles when they are in place in the bottles to be carried, the opening or openings cretebottles h -flar ng 0r non-cylinbeing large enough to receive more than one botdrical b y portions I desirably D V fl ges tle. The sheet out of which the crat body i about the bottle receiving opening which are disformed is also preferably additionally perforated posed at an acute angle to the p of t e te to reduceits weight. Perforations in the bottom y so as t he lone h urf e of the bodies of the crate body also promote drainage fr of the bottles when they are inplace in the crate; the crate of liquid such s me1ted i Other details, objects and. advantages of the A bottle cell unit is preferably introduced into invention Will become pp as the following the crate body to receive bottles placed in the description of certain presentpreferred embodircrate through the opening or openings in the ments thereof and of a present preferredmethod top. Any suitable bottle cell unit may be emof p c g the Same proceeds. ployed. Desirably the cell unit has cells arranged I the p y g dr wings I have shown in' -rows in usualfashion to accommodate the certainpresen p de ts 0 the number of bottles to be-carried by the crate. Orvention and haverillustrated a present preferred dinarily' bottle crates are designed to accommomethod f practicing the m n'Wh ch date two dozen bottles arranged in four rows of Figure 1 is a plan view-0f 'aibottle crate; six bottles each but the number and arrange- Figure 2 isa vertical: transverse cross sectional ment of the bottles may be Varied as desired. View to enlar Scale taken on the e IIII I preferably provide a finger receiving opening of Figure 1; Y 1 in at least one of the closed sides of the crate to Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal facilitate its handling. Ordinarily such openings cross sectional view to enlarged scale taken on the will be provided in both of the closed sides of the. line IIIIII ofFigure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal crate. Desirably a handle member is applied to 7 Claims. (Cl. 220-21) 2 each'finger receivingopening to provide a surface of desirable shape and area adapted to be partially'gripped by the fingers when the crate is lifted. I find it of advantage to hold the. bottle cell unit in place in the crate body by means of the handle members.

The sheet out of which the crate body is formed is desirably longitudinally ribbed for strength. It also desirably has its longitudinal edges beaded 3 cross sectional view to enlarged scale taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an elevational view with a portion cut away of the crate shown in Figure 1 as viewed from an open side thereof;

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the crate as viewed from a closed side thereof;

a Figure 7' is afragmentary bottom planview of the crate; Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the strengthening of a corner of the crate Figure 9 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view of the crate top;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view of the crate top showing the relationship between a bottle receiving opening and a cylindrical-bodied bottle received therein;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 but showinga bottlereceiving opening with a downwardly and inwardly inclined peripheral flange cooperating with a bottle havinga flared body;

Figure 12 is a plan view of a ribbed and beaded blank with corners at one end cut away adapted for the fabrication of a bottle crate body, the original fiat blank being indicated by chain lines;

Figure 13 is a transverse cross sectional view to enlarged scale taken on the line XIIIXIII of Figure 12;

Figure lfl is'a view similar to Figure 12 but showing the blankperforatedand otherwise diemed:

Figure15 is a transverse cross sectional view to enlarged scale taken on the line XV-XV of Figure-14; and

Figure .16 is an elevational-view with a portion cutaway of the bottle. crate body as viewed from an. open side, thereof before application of the bottle cellunit and the handle members of the crate.

I shall: describe the preferred method -of making thebottle crate and the bottle crate body in connection with description ofcertain forms of the crate. I provide an elongated rectangular sheet, and for thepurposeof illustrationI shall describe the. sheet as; being of-metal. The sheet in.its original flat formds indicated at,2"in.Figure .12 where/the chain lines 3'and dindicate the longitudinal edges of the flat sheet-before it is subjected. to working. Theend edges of the original flat sheet are-indicated at 5 and 6. The sheet first has its corners at at least one end thereof cut away leaving rectangular corner incisions as indicatedat l; I prefertocutaway the corners at oneendonly of the sheet asthis ordinarily suifices. The flat sheet with the corners cut away is'then passedthrough a. forming mill which forms in itthree' spaced apart downwardly projecting longitudinallyextending ribs 8 and forms at the longitudinal edges inwardly curled downwardly projecting hollow beads 9.. This forming of the sheet to makethe ribs 8 and beads .9 is pref erably effected by passing the sheet longitudinally throughv a cold forming mill. The heads 9 are shorterthan. the central-portion of the sheet by a distance equal. to the longitudinal .depth of the incisions]. The ribbed and beaded, but otherwise flat, sheetis. designated Ill in Figuresl2 and 13.

The sheet I0 is next stamped to deform .and perforate it asshown. in Figures 14 .andl5; A series of both longitudinally and transversely spaced depressed panels I I (see Figures 1 and 14) is formed in the portion of the sheet adjacent one end thereof and extending from a point beads 9.

-, closed-sides.

slightly removed from that end to a point some what less than half way along the sheet. An elongated depressed panel 12 is formed adjacent but removed a short distance from the opposite end of the sheet in each of the four longitudinally extending spaces between the ribs 8 and beads 9; Between the portion of the sheet. containing thepanels l l and the portion of the sheet containin the panels I2 is an unpanelled transverse zone i3. Between the portion of the sheet containing the panels 12 and the adjacent end of the sheet is an unpanelled transverse zone id. The portion of the sheet containing the panels II is ultimately'to be disposed at the top of the crate, the portion containing the panels [2 is ultimately to be disposed at the bottom of the crate andthe zones l3 and [4 are ultimately to be disposed at the opposed closed sides of the crate.

Contemporaneously with the formation of the panels. Hi and lithe sheet is perforated by forming therein relativelylarge' circular openings [5, other circular openings iii of intermediate size and relatively smallcircular openingsl'i and'also relatively large elongated openings [8 with rounded ends. The openings l.5 are bottle, receiving openings and are arranged in four parallel rows of six openings each, the rows extending longitudinally of, the sheet and being disposed in the elongated spaces between the ribs 8 andthe One ofthepanels. II is disposed between. eachpair of longitudinally adjacent openings l5, Only-a few of the panels ll andopenings it are shown. in-Figure 14 but it is to be understood that. inthe form illustrated there are altogether twenty. such. panels and. forty .such openings as shown in Figure .1. The openings it are formed in the panels: l.l,;two.such openings ineach panel, one adjacent each end of th panel. The panels ll impart strength to the structureand the openingsv it render, it lightin weight. Some of the relatively small openings l-l aredisposed in the panels l2 at the portion of the sheet which is to formthe bottom of the crate and other. of the; openings flare disposed in the zones l3 and M which: are to,form;the closed sides-of the crate. Theopenings Flare for the purpose of reducing the weight of;the;crate. Only a fewof such openings .are'showninFigure 14 but it is to be understood that theyextend throughout the bottom andolosedsides of the crate. Desirably theopenings I 1 have still smaller openings I la disposed therebetween as shown 4 in Figures 1, 6 and-'7 butdnetothe small scale of Figure 14 the openings Ila, are-omitted in that figure. Theelongatedopenings: l8-are finger re ceivingopenings; to facilitate. handling of the crate. They are disposed respectively in the zones l3 and l 4 above referred to.

After the ribbedandbeaded; sheet has been stamped and perfora-ted-es just explained, it is bent into-generally tubularform. Preferably the sheet'is bent into generally rectangular tubular form to; provide a crate-body designated.by refer-' ence numeral 19- in Figure v16.. The bottlereceivingopenings l5 are-disposed-atthetop of the crate body, the panels [2 are disposed at the bot tom and the zones l3 and I4 are disposed at the The other two-sidesare open. In-, stead of bending the sheet sharply at the corners it is preferably bent gradually so that the cor ners are ,radiused Beforelgthe sheetisbent strengthening rods 2, (Figure 16) are introduced into the hollow beads 9 and disposed at the portions of such beads which are to be bent; i. e., the

1 welded ,together at 22, .body of rugged construction-yet remarkably light weight.,';

L P ;The1bottle receiving openings I5 arepreferably .flanged, i. e., the material of the sheetat the peportions, which are. tojbe at the. corners of the crate bod y.. When the sheet is bent the beads I and the containedstrengthening rods Mare bent together, the, strengtheningrods finally assuming the shape of elbows as shown in Figure l6. The fact; that they are thus bent and are disposed at the corners of the crate body results in their remaining in place at such corners where they protect and strengthen the hollow beads 9.

'When the sheet has been bent to form the hollow rectangular crate body as described, the ends of the beads d abut 'at-2'l (Figure--16) While the centralv portions of thev sheet overlap and are Thus is formed; a crate ripheries of those openings is formed out of the .plane of the sheet at, the .top of the crate This fianging of the bottle receiving openings is preferablyeffected contemporaneously with the stamp- ;ing of thesheet as above explained. The flanges at the edges of the bottle receiving openings pref- .erably'extending downwardly or'toward the in- :side of thelcrateand may extend perpendicular to the plane of thevopenings as shown atr23 in .Figures 9,.and or may be inclined downwardly and inwardly asshown at 24 in Figure 11. The

perpendicular flanges23 are employed when bottles of conventional .shape with cylindrical body portions are to be handled. The downwardly and inwardly inclined flanges 2-4 are employed when bottles; having flared body portions are to be handled; In Figure 10 aportion of a conventional. bottle with a cylindrical body is shown at 25 while bottle cell unit shown is of known construction and I make no claim it per se. The wire bottle cell unit is of advantage since it effectively positions the bottles, is light in weight and may easily be introduced into the crate body. It is introduced into the crate body through an open side thereof and is positioned with the respective bottle cells directly underneath the bottle receiving openings I5. It is then suitably held in that position. This may be accomplished in various ways; I prefer to hold the bottle cell unit in place by handle members which are disposed in the finger receiving openings 18 at the opposed closed sides of the crate body. I provide handle members adapted to fit within the openings l8, each comprising a body portion 28 and a flange 29. The body portion 28 of each handle member is adapted to be disposed inside the crate body with the flange 29 projecting outwardly through the finger receiving opening. 7 The handle members are then fastened in place by rivets 30 (Figure 6) each passing through a side of the crate body and through the body portion 28 of the handle member disposed at that side of the crate body. The handle members may be made of any suitable material such, for example, as plastic, and are preferably light in weight and smooth to the touch. The openings therethrough are each of fingers of a mans hand.

,The bottle cell unit hasat each end a wire portion 3 l adapted when the cell unit is in place and the handle members are applied to be held down and against the side of 'thecrate by being received within a. recess 32 of the corresponding handle member. Thus when the bottle cell unit is put in place and the 'handlemembers are applied the handle members hold the cell unit in fixedpositionwithin'the crate body. The cellunit may be removed by removing the rivets 30 and the handle'members held therebys .While I have shown and described certainpres- .entpreferred embodiments of the invention and have illustrated a present preferred method of practicing. the same, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodiedand practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Iclaimt 1. A bottle crate having a body formed out of a metal sheet bent into substantially tubular form, having generally parallel ribs extending peripherally of the body, the body having substantially flat portions forming the top, bottom and two opposed sides of the crate, the top having bottle receiving openings therein arranged in rows, the rib being disposed between rows of said openings. b

3. 2. A bottle crate having abody formed'out of ga -metal. sheet bent' into substantially tubular form, having generally- ;parallel ribs extending peripherally or the body, the body having sub- .stantially flat.,portions, forming the top, bottom and two opposed sides of the crate, the top having bottle receiving openings therein arranged in rows, the ribs being disposed between rows of said openings, the bottom having panels pressed out of the general plane of the bottom, the panels being disposed between ribs and directly beneath rows of said openings.

3. A bottle crate having a body formed out of a metal sheet bent into substantially tubular form, having generally parallel ribs extending peripherally of the body, the body having substantially flat portions forming the top, bottom and two opposed sides of the crate, the top having bottle receiving openings therein arranged in rows, the ribs being disposed between rows of said openings, the bottom having panels pressed out of the general plane of the bottom, the panels being disposed between ribs and directly beneath rows of said openings, the body having beads extending peripherally thereof at the edges thereof.

4. A bottle crate having a body formed out of a metal sheet bent into substantially tubular form, having generally parallel ribs extending peripherally of the body, the body having substantially flat portions forming the top, bottom and. two opposed sides of the crate, the top having bottle receiving openings therein arranged in rows, the ribs being disposed between rows of said openings, and a bottle cell unit positioned within the body and having bottle cells respectively disposed directly beneath the respective bottle receiving openings in the top of the body.

5. .A bottle crate having a body formed out of a metal sheet bent into substantially tubular form, the body having substantially fiat portions forming the top, bottom and two opposed sides of the crate, the top having bottle receiving openings therein, finger openings in said two opposed sides of the crate, a bottle cell unit positioned within the body and having bottle cells respectively disposed directly beneath the respective bottle receiving openings in the top of the body and handle members fitted into thefinger openings holding'the bottle cell unit in position in the body.

6. Abottle crate having a body formed out of a metal sheet bent into substantially tubular .fornnthe body having substantially flat portions forming the top, bottom and two opposed sides of the crate, the top having bottle receiving openings therein, the bottom having upwardly pressed panels each disposed directly beneath a plurality of bottle receiving openings in the top of the body, and a bottle cell unit positioned within the body and having bottle cells'respectively disposed directly beneath the respective bottle receiving openings in the top of the body, the bottle cell unit being supported upon said panels.

7. A bottle crate having abody formed out of a metal sheet bent into substantially tubular form, having generally parallel ribs extending disposed between rows of said openings, the bottom having upwardly pressed panels disposedv betweenribs and directly beneath rows of bottle receivingopenings, a bottle cell unit positioned within the body and having bottle cells respectively disposed directly beneath the respective bo'ttle receiving openings in the top of the body,

the-bottle cell unit being supported upon said panels, finger openings in said two opposed'sides of the crate and handle members fitted into the finger openings holding the bottle cell unit in position in the body.

CHARLES CLARKE WALES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED .STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 786,298 Kruse Apr. 4, 1905 809,854 Sochurek, Sr. Jan. 9, 1906 825,133 Klenk July3, 1906 1,054,035 Ruhnau Feb. 25, 1913 1,110,157 Stewart Sept. 8, 1914 1,118,738 Carroll Nov. 24, 19.14 1,220,301 Waldman Mar. 27, 1917 1,693,906 Lippincott Dec. 4, 1928 '.2';021,488 Moorman Nov. 19, 1935 2,114,737 Gray Apr. 19, 1938 2,140,610 Willard Dec. 20, 1938 2,205,008 Gray June 18,, 1940 12,226,670 Pratt et a1 Dec. 31, 1940 2,238,484 Christiansen Apr. 15, 1941 2,243,625 Gettleman May 27, 1941 2,247,620 Robinson July 1, 1941 2,264,897 Becker et a1 'Dec. 2. 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Number Country Date 168,360 Switzerland June 16, 1934 632,816

France Oct-17, 1927 

